Copyright summit – first morning

A lot of people with a lot of questions about how the new digital age and copyright can co-exist.

Main speakers so far:

Ben Verwaayen, BT Chief Executive – Change is coming for the Rights bodies. Embrace it and develop new business models. The challenge isn’t technological but creative. (Update 28/3/08 – video– official video from CISAC)

Charles Aznavour, Singer, Songwriter and Actor – Creators must get paid. Multinational media conglomorates are looking to disrupt and dismantle the Rights bodies to break the creators bargaining power. (Update 28/3/08– official video from CISAC)

There was very little about what the future will be and a lot of what the past was. The only bright moment was Mark Selby catagorically spelling out that DRM was not the solution. (Update 28/3/08 – video– official video from CISAC)

The general feeling was that creators livelihoods were being threatened by this digital age but that the tools being made available to artists were also liberating. Billy Bragg was unique in his open embrace of the opportunities and possibilities being afforded him as an artist to directly connect with his audience and was enthusing on the boom in live music, which he put down to people sharing music and wanting to see the artist live. (Update 28/3/08– official video from CISAC)

So far, a lot of people with a lot of questions and a desire to get the Telecos, Multimedia companies, the public, the government, etc. to help them. It also seems people want a technological/legislative silver bullet to make the genie go back in the bottle.